Ultrasound of penetrating ocular injury in a combat environment.

Penetrating eye injuries are uncommon in a civilian environment, but unfortunately, very common in a military emergency department. Ultrasound of the eye is quick, reliable, accurate, and easy to learn. This review aims to demonstrate normal anatomy and penetrating injuries of the anterior and posterior compartments of the eye.

Use of imaging in trauma decision-making.

Damage Control Radiology describes the process where imaging aids the decision making process in a trauma setting and is an important part of Damage Control Surgery and Resuscitation. This article outlines how radiology fits in to the primary and secondary surveys and discusses the role of imaging modalities such as ultrasound and CT. The importance of deployed radiology to aid rapid diagnosis and decision making is described.

Predicting Soybean Rust Incursions into the North American Continental Interior Using Crop Monitoring, Spore Trapping, and Aerobiological Modeling.

Between 2005 and 2009, millions of U.S. and Canadian soybean acres that would have received fungicide application remained untreated for soybean rust due to information disseminated through the Integrated Pest Management Pest Information Platform for Extension and Education (ipmPIPE), increasing North American producers' profits by hundreds of millions of dollars each year. The results of our analysis of Phakopsora pachyrhizi urediniospores in rain collections, aerobiology model output, and observations of soybean rust spread in 2007 and 2008 show a strong correspondence between spore collections and model predictions for the continental interior of North America, where soybean is an important crop. The analysis suggests that control practices based on up-to-date maps of soybean rust observations and associated commentary from Extension Specialists delivered by the ipmPIPE may have suppressed the number and strength of inoculum source areas in the southern states and retarded the northward progress of seasonal soybean rust incursions into continental North America. The analysis further indicates that spore trapping and aerobiological modeling can reduce our reliance on the costly Sentinel Plot Network while maintaining the effectiveness of the ipmPIPE system for soybean rust management.

A comparison of a 'J' wire and a straight wire in successful antegrade cannulation of the superficial femoral artery.

AIMS: To evaluate the success of two different types of wire in common use in their ability to successfully cannulate the superficial femoral artery (SFA) using antegrade puncture. METHODS: 50 consecutive patients in whom antegrade infra-inguinal intervention was planned, underwent common femoral arterial puncture and then cannulation with either a standard 3mm 'J' wire or a floppy tipped straight wire (William Cook-Europe). The frequency with which each type of wire entered the SFA or profunda femoris artery without image guidance was recorded. Further analysis was also made of the success of manipulation of the wire into the SFA following profunda cannulation and the use of alternative guide wires. RESULTS: In 19 out of 25 (76%) patients the 'J' wire correctly entered the SFA without image guidance. Only 5 out of 25 (25%) of straight wires entered the SFA with the initial pass (p < 0.0001). Following further manipulation with the same wire all except 1 'J' wire was successfully negotiated into the SFA. The same was true for only 9 of the remaining straight wires with 11 patients requiring an alternative guide wire. CONCLUSIONS: When performing antegrade cannulation of the SFA a 'J' wire is more likely to be successful than a straight guide wire.

The Lost Colony and Jamestown droughts.

Tree-ring data from Virginia indicate that the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island disappeared during the most extreme drought in 800 years (1587-1589) and that the alarming mortality and the near abandonment of Jamestown Colony occurred during the driest 7-year episode in 770 years (1606-1612). These extraordinary droughts can now be implicated in the fate of the Lost Colony and in the appalling death rate during the early occupations at Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America.

Crystals of the cell-binding module of fibronectin obtained from a series of recombinant fragments differing in length.

A recombinant fragment corresponding to the cell adhesion module (FNIII10) of human fibronectin has been crystallized at pH 8.6 from solutions containing polyethylene glycol as precipitant. The crystals formed in the space group P2(1) with a = 30.76 A, b = 35.07 A, c = 37.66 A, beta = 106.9 degrees. There is one molecule per asymmetric unit and the crystals diffract beyond 1.75 A resolution. To improve the prospects for successful crystallization of the FNIII10 module, a series of recombinant fragments was produced with minor differences in the length of N or C-terminal segments. Only one of these variants crystallized. Interestingly, the C-terminal residue of this variant formed stable intermolecular contacts with a symmetry-related molecule in the crystal lattice.

Selection of peptides binding to the alpha 5 beta 1 integrin from phage display library.

The alpha 5 beta 1 integrin binds fibronectin through the integrin recognition sequence Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD). We have used a 6-amino acid peptide library expressed on filamentous phage to identify peptide ligands for alpha 5 beta 1. We found that this integrin selectively binds RGD-containing peptides from the library. Of the 32 different sequences obtained, 28 had the RGD motif, 3 contained sequences related to RGD, and only 1 had a clearly different sequence. One of the RGD-containing phage encoded a potentially cyclic insert CRGDCL. The cyclic peptide GAC*RGDC*LGA (where * denotes cysteines forming a disulfide bond) was 10-fold more efficient than any of the linear RGD-containing hexapeptides in inhibiting the binding of RGD-expressing phage to alpha 5 beta 1 or the attachment of alpha 5 beta 1-expressing cells to fibronectin. This peptide also inhibited cell attachment mediated by the alpha v beta 1, alpha v beta 3, and alpha v beta 5 integrins with about 10-fold higher efficiency than linear GRGDSP. One peptide containing an RGD-related sequence, NGRAHA, was also found to inhibit phage attachment and cell adhesion, especially adhesion mediated by the alpha v beta 5 integrin. These results indicate that novel and high affinity ligands for integrins can be isolated from a random peptide library.

In vivo discrimination among beta-tubulin isotypes: selective degradation of a type IV beta-tubulin isotype following overexpression in cultured animal cells.

Preceding efforts have revealed that tubulin synthesis in animal cells is regulated both by selective expression of individual members of the tubulin multigene families and by a post-transcriptional control pathway that cotranslationally degrades tubulin mRNAs when the concentrations of unassembled subunits are increased. To test the effect of forced expression of a specific beta-tubulin, we constructed Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines that stably express the chicken class IV (c-IV) beta-tubulin gene. After gene amplification, we obtained lines that synthesize the c-IV polypeptide at a rate two to three times that of all endogenous beta-tubulins. Despite this elevated rate of synthesis, these c-IV polypeptides accumulated to only 4 to 10% of cellular beta-tubulin. Furthermore, when c-IV transcription was further elevated transiently, there was a compensatory loss in the endogenous class IV isotype (m-IV) so that the total level of class IV isotypes remained unchanged. The data indicate that beta-tubulin isotypes I and IV are biochemically distinguished in these cultured cell lines and that the stability of individual isotypes is established in part by isotype-specific interactions with other cellular factors.

Autoregulatory control of beta-tubulin mRNA stability is linked to translation elongation.

Tubulin synthesis in animal cells is controlled in part by an autoregulatory mechanism that modulates the stability of ribosome-bound tubulin mRNAs. For beta tubulin, the initial recognition event for this selective RNA instability has previously been shown to be a cotranslational binding (presumably by tubulin itself) to the nascent amino-terminal beta-tubulin tetrapeptide just after it emerges from the ribosome. Although this "autoregulation" of tubulin expression is thus obligatorily linked to the translation process, the mechanism of how a cotranslational protein-protein binding event ultimately triggers RNA degradation is unknown. Using protein synthesis inhibitors to slow and ultimately to block translation elongation, we now show that the mRNA destabilization pathway requires ongoing ribosome translocation.

Autoregulated changes in stability of polyribosome-bound beta-tubulin mRNAs are specified by the first 13 translated nucleotides.

The expression of tubulin polypeptides in animal cells is controlled by an autoregulatory mechanism whereby increases in the tubulin subunit concentration result in rapid and specific degradation of tubulin mRNAs. We have now determined that the sequences that are necessary and sufficient to specify mouse beta-tubulin mRNAs as substrates for this autoregulated instability reside within the first 13 translated nucleotides (which encode the first four beta-tubulin amino acids Met-Arg-Glu-Ile). This domain has been functionally conserved throughout evolution, inasmuch as sequences isolated from the analogous region of human, chicken, and yeast beta-tubulin mRNAs also confer autoregulation. Further, for an RNA to be a substrate for regulation, not only must it carry the 13-nucleotide coding sequence, but it must also be ribosome bound and its translation must proceed 3' to codon 41.

Predicting rehabilitation outcomes from clinical and statistical data: a probability model.

This research was focused on the feasibility of a Markov Chain probability model for predicting rehabilitation outcome. A combination of clinical ratings from counselors and statistical data from client files was used to predict 'successful' and 'unsuccessful' outcomes. Predictions were made at three separate time periods: Time 1, during the first week after initial interview; Time 2, during the fourth week after initial interview; and Time 3, during the thirteenth week after initial interview. The final outcome was determined at the end of six months. The research sample consisted of seventy-one clients from two private rehabilitation agencies, all of whom suffered from work-related injuries or illnesses. The results of this research indicate that a Markov Chain probability model is quite feasible for predicting rehabilitation outcomes. In addition, it was observed that the predictions generally followed a progression over time toward stronger and more accurate predictions for both 'success' and 'failure'. With only one exception, occurring at Time 1, the clinical ratings from the counselors were shown to be stronger predictors than the statistical data from case files. This finding is inconsistent with previous studies. It is suggested that a model such as this can serve to alert counselors to the possible need for different or more innovative strategies for service to clients who show a poor probability for success.

Sequences that confer beta-tubulin autoregulation through modulated mRNA stability reside within exon 1 of a beta-tubulin mRNA.

Synthesis of alpha- and beta-tubulin is controlled in animal cells by a novel autoregulatory mechanism: the concentration of unpolymerized subunits specifies the level of tubulin mRNAs. Using transient DNA transfection, we have localized the sequences that identify a beta-tubulin RNA as a substrate for autoregulation. Insertion of as few as 106 nucleotides (57 bases of 5' untranslated region and 49 coding nucleotides) from a beta-tubulin gene into a thymidine kinase gene is sufficient to make expression of the resultant chimeric RNA regulated as if it were an authentic beta-tubulin mRNA. Furthermore, all 5' untranslated region sequences can be deleted without disrupting regulation. We conclude that this novel autoregulatory pathway is specified by cytoplasmic events that modulate mRNA stability through sequences lying within the first 16 translated codons of a beta-tubulin mRNA.

Behavioral and biochemical assessment of time-related changes in globus pallidus and striatal dopamine induced by intranigrally administered neurotensin.

Microinjection of neurotensin (NT; 2 and 5 micrograms) into the substantia nigra zona compacta caused an increase in dopamine (DA) and DA metabolites in the rodent globus pallidus and striatum which persisted for at least 20 hours after peptide administration. Similar NT treatments given unilaterally into the nigra caused circling away from the injected side in amphetamine-pretreated rats, but were without effect when microinjected into saline-pretreated animals. Circling also occurred when the animals were given amphetamine 20 hours after intranigral NT administration. Contralateral rotation was observed with unilateral intranigral injections of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB; 400 micrograms) or with lower intranigral GHB doses (250 micrograms) in amphetamine-pretreated animals. The effects of GHB and NT differed in the manner in which the animals rotated as well as in the profile of DA and DA metabolite changes induced by these drugs. These studies indicated that: dopaminergic functions of the globus pallidus are influenced, like the striatum, by manipulations of the substantia nigra: NT and GHB likely act via different mechanisms to effect nigral dopamine-containing cells; and NT was capable of inducing changes in dopamine neurons which had long term consequences.